


Tangled Up

by Third__Writer



Category: Red Queen Series - Victoria Aveyard
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:47:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26824633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Third__Writer/pseuds/Third__Writer
Summary: “We all have a little magic in us”
Relationships: Mare Barrow/Tiberias "Cal" Calore VII
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The plot is not mine, the characters are not mine, and I’ve taken some lines and the songs for this.

Hundreds of years ago

Elara was growing desperate. Eighty years of age was not enough for her. Tearing through the pages of her family's books, she scrambled to search for a remedy for age. Unfortunately, she found nothing—which was obvious since her entire family was dead.

Until she remembered the flower created by a drop of the Sun. It's power could heal from broken bones to melting flesh. Can it not do the same for time?

**  
...**

Four months it took to find it even with the map, and her bones nearly gave out from stumbling through the bushes. Her frail hands gripped the stem of the flower, and she sang,

**  
  
  
  
**

_ "Flower, gleam and grow. _

__

_ Let your power shine. _

__

_ Make the clock reverse, _

_  
bring back what once was mine, _

__

_ What once was mine." _

**  
  
  
  
**

In an instant, her skin smoothed out, her muscles no longer felt weary, and her unkempt gray hair was once again an ashy blonde. She felt beautiful and sharp, not wanting to share this gift with anyone else. So she took a bundle of leaves, and twigs, creating a bush to hide the glow. Satisfied with her work, she set off to build another home close to her magic flower.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The introduction to the characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have Cal sing the very first song, but that would have been too much to write and keep track of, because the transition of chore to chore is a mess for me to put down.

Mareena Titanos with Ptolemus and Evangeline Samos hopped along the ups and downs of the palace roofs.

Once they arrived at their destination above the room where the crown was kept, she gazed at the village and forest in awe of the sight.

"I could get to a view like this..."

"Titanos!"

"Hold on. Yep, I'm used to it." She smirks crosses her arms. "Guys I want a castle."

Evangeline sneered. "We do this job, you could buy your own castle."

Mareena scoffed before tying the rope around herself. The Samos siblings held onto the rope as she was lowered to put the crown in her satchel.

All of a sudden one of the guards sneezed as Mareena held the precious metal in her hands. For a second, she contemplated whether or not to make herself known.

She figured she could spare the seconds.

"Oh, Hay Fever?"

"Yeah," he says, glancing slightly behind him.

The few seconds it took for him to realize what happened, Mareena and the siblings were on the run. Like always, she felt a rush of adrenaline and excitement as the trio barreled out the village, soldiers in tow. "Can't you picture me in a castle of my own?" She whoops. "I mean, I certainly can. Oh, the things we've seen and it's only eight in the morning!"

  
  
  
  


...

  
  
  
  


Cal cleans his space with a dirty rag as he puts away his tool kit, hands slightly shaking.

He sighs. "This is it. This is a very big day, Kilorn. I'm finally going to do it. I'm going to ask her," he tells his best friend. Like always, the chameleon's gaze goes right to the hair. Not a day went by without a silent judgment on his golden locks.

Seventy feet long, glowing, magical locks of hair.

"Cal! Let down your hair!" His mother called,

"It's time." He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. Like clockwork, he takes his hair to the open window and wraps it around a hook, letting it down for his mother to hold onto. When he sees that her foot's secured, he brings her higher and higher until she can stand on the sill and step into the room.

Cal briefly felt a surge of pride as his mother cups his face and compliments him. "My darling, such a handsome, strong man. How you manage to do that every single day without fail, it looks absolutely exhausting."

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Then I don't know why it takes so long." She laughs, and his face falls. "Oh, darling. I'm just teasing." She playfully swats his arm. So as not to show his emotions (he hates looking sad in front of his mother) he nervously laughs it off, then remembers what he meant to tell her. "All right...so mother. As you know, tomorrow is a very big day."

"Cal, look at that mirror. You know what I see?" It wasn't often he actually looked at himself, but beside his mother, he felt a bit more confident. Accepting of himself despite the hair. "I see a strong, confident, wonderful person. Oh look, you're here too." She laughs again and Cal tries his best to not look upset. "I'm just teasing, stop taking everything so seriously." Her words calm him immediately—he doesn't know how—somewhat making it easier to ask something of her. She seemed in a good mood, why not?

"Okay, so Mother. I was thinking tomorrow—" His mother gripped his shoulders and steered him towards her chair. "Darling, Mother's feeling a run down. Would you sit here?" He complied, knowing what she meant to do. Brushing his hair, she claimed, soothed her and made her feel younger.

So he waited the painful seconds that seemed to drag out to minutes as she sang, barely noticing the music in the background.

_ "Flower gleam and grow, _

_ Let your power shine. _

_ Make the clock reverse _

_ Bring back what once was mine. _

_ Heal what has been hurt, _

_ Change the fate's design. _

_ Save what has been lost, _

_ Bring back what once was mine." _

Two seconds passed, then he spoke with a spring in his voice. Where it came from, he had absolutely no idea. "So Mother, earlier I asked if tomorrow was a pretty big day and you really didn't respond, so I'm just going to tell you. It's my birthday!"

His mother seemed confused. "No no no, it can't be. I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year." She pats his cheek lovingly.

"That's the funny thing about birthdays, they're kind of an annual thing. Mother, I'm turning nineteen. And I wanted to ask, what I really want for this birthday. Actually what I want for every birthday..." he trailed off as he thought more about it. His entire life was inside the tower. He could only imagine what the outside felt like—the grass, the dirt, even the stream that ran a few feet away. But especially on the night of his birthday, there were floating lights that lit up the dark sky. He felt as if those lights had something to do with him.

"Cal, please, stop with the mumbling. You know how I feel about the mumbling. Blah, blah, blah, it's very annoying. Oh I'm just teasing, you're adorable and I love you so much, darling."

He groaned. "Oh, I want to see the floating lights."

"What?"

"Well I was hoping you take me to see the floating lights."

"Oh, you mean the stars."

Cal figured she might not believe him, so he brought out various models and carvings he made. "That's the thing. I've charted stars and they're always constant. But these, they appear every year on my birthday, Mother. Only on my birthday. And I can't help but feel that they're, they're meant for me. I need to see them, Mother. And not just from my window. In person. I have to know what they are." Cal so hoped from his speech she would let him outside.

What actually happened, to his disappointment, was that his mother stood up and laughed. "You want to go outside? Oh, why Cal. Look at you, as fragile as a flower. Still a little sapling, just a sprout." She patted his arms to make a point, despite the fact he was muscular. 

But it did make sense. He hadn't the slightest in how to defend himself. "I know, but—"

"That's right, to keep you safe and sound, dear." Music started to play in the background again, though Cal brushed it off as the little magic that she had.

She made a dramatic pose, and that's when he decided to let her vocal chords ring out.

_ "Guess I always knew this day was coming. Know that you would want to leave the nest. _

_ Soon, not yet. _

_ Trust me pet, _

_ Mother, knows best." _

She lets down a lever, and darkness surrounds the both of them.

_ "Mother knows best. _

_ Listen to your mother. _

_ It's a scary world out there. _

_ Mother knows best. _

_ One way or another, _

_ something will go wrong, I swear..." _

At this point, he was nervous. His mother was missing, and things were thrown at him to make him squirm.

It worked.

_ "Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, _

_ quicksand. _

_ Cannibals and snakes, _

_ the plague." _

"No!"

_ "Yes! _

_ Also large bugs, _

_ men with pointy teeth. _

_ And stop, no more, _

_ you'll just upset me." _

He was the one hyperventilating but he let her be. At least he could see her from the candles lit.

_ "Mother's right here, _

_ Mother will protect you. _

_ Darling here's what I suggest: _

_ Skip the drama, _

_ stay with Mama. _

_ Mother, knows best." _

She disappeared and the candles went out, so he lit them up again to try and search for her.

_ "Mother knows best. _

_ Take it from your mumsey. _

_ On your own you won't survive." _

She danced out of any grasp to reach out for her.

_ "Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy. _

_ Please, they'll eat you up,  _

_alive."_

She rolls him up in his own hair, and suddenly she's yards away.

_ "Gullible, nave, _

_ positively grubby. _

_ Ditzy and a well, hmm vague. _

_ Plus I believe, _

_ Getting kinda thin there. _

_ I'm just saying, _

_ 'Cause I wuv you. _

_ Mother understands, _

_ Mother's here to help you. _

_ All I have is one request..." _

She stands with her arms open and Cal sighs in relief before running over to engulf her in a hug. He forgot that sometimes when she sang, she made her point by doing her worst.

"Darling?"

"Yes?"

She gives him a look that puts him in unease. "Don't ever ask to leave this tower, again."

"Yes, Mother."

She smiles warmly, and plays with strands of his hair. "Aah, I love you very much dear."

"I love you more."

"I love you most. _Don't forget it._

_ You'll regret it. _

_Mother, knows best."_ She gently pulls on the hair, then lets it go to prepare for another trip out the tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update will take place tomorrow, as it will for the next five-ish parts.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The is the chapter the Mare and Cal meet (well, at least gendered her for the first time).

Mareena and the Samos siblings stopped at a tree with two "Wanted" paper nailed to it. Mareena gripped the paper tightly in frustration. 

"No, no no. This is bad. This is very, very bad." She shoved the paper in the siblings’ faces. "They just can't get my nose right."

Ptolemus scoffed. "Who cares."

The girl gasped in offense. "Easy for you to say. You guys look amazing." She gestures to the paper below, the noses perfectly sketched.

A horse's neigh interrupted the love fest, causing the trio to dash in a frenzy. The destination was uncertain for them, and considering there was no escape plan, they ended up at a dead end.

Mareena says in a rush, "All right, okay. Give me a boost, and I'll pull you up."

Two precious seconds were spent when the Samos siblings shared a look. "Give us the satchel first," Evangeline holds out a hand.

Mareena stammers. "Wha..? I just— I can't believe, that after all we've been together, you don't trust me." She holds the satchel close to her chest, feigning hurt.

Crickets chirped and the siblings didn't bat an eye.

"Ouch." She rolls her eyes and puts the thing in Evangeline's hand. She then waits as Ptolemus holds his sister firmly on his shoulders, afterwards climbing up onto another level of ground.

"Now help us up, girl." Evangeline holds out her hand in hopes of escape.

"Sorry, my hands are full." Mareena smirks, holding up the satchel and sprinting with abandon.

The girl still on her brother's shoulders gawks, hands flying to her side. "TITANOS!"

Mareena grins at her brilliance, but another horse's neigh stops her in her tracks, making her steer in a different direction. She pumps her legs, the soldiers at her heels.

"We've got him now, Maximus." The horse understands, gaining speed as the thief slows slightly. Perfect.

Until the girl grips a branch, pushes herself off her feet, then spins around the trunk and knocks the rider off the horse. Mareena laughs in triumph, but her smile drops quickly when Maximus skids to a stop.

Weird.

"Go!" No response. "Heyah! Come fleabag, froward!" He does the opposite, actually. Teeth launch towards the satchel, giving Mareena barely any time to pull it away. "No." He tries again. "No, stop it." The horse bucks, throwing her off his back. The satchel skids on the grass, then ends hanging on a thin branch at the end of a cliff.

Mareena and the horse glance at each other, then dash towards the tree. She lunges, and Maximus pulls her back with his teeth. He surges forward with the momentum. Only to be pulled back by the tail.

_Ouch_.

The game goes on back and forth, each going a little more distance to the satchel until they reach the tree.

Mareena dodges the horse, scurrying underneath the tree. Maximus sees the small hands, and stomps his way to the end of the tree. Mareena pulls her hands away from the hoofs, slowly gaining distance until she has her hands on the satchel. 

"HAH!" She cries in triumph, but then a crack resounds from the trunk.

They both look down in alarm, and for a split second, she understands why people feel like they stay suspended in the air before falling.

Mareena screams as she falls, but thankfully, she can't see the stupid big-toothed horse as she tumbles in the trees.

"Oof!" She grunts when her stomach hits a thick branch. The nicker of the horse shuts her up quickly, and she gingerly, considering her belly, lowers herself behind a bush. A thump is heard as the big animal hits the grass, and Maximus quickly rights himself before putting his nose to the ground and attempting to pick up a trail of Mareena's scent.

After the sound of rustling grass and bushes fades, she peeks through the bush and takes the opportunity to sneak away, creeping carefully along the cliff. She keeps glancing back, unaware of the strings of leaves until she almost falls through them.

"Huh?" She then puts her hands through the covering, then dashed inside the cave as the sound of clomping hoofs get louder. She barely makes it inside before the silhouette of the palace horse appears. He sniffs and lifts his nose, then somehow shrugs and moves on.

Mareena waits for her heart to slow down before venturing further inside the cave. It picks up again when she reaches the light at the end.

_Wow_.

The scene before her was beautiful. Birds chirp happily, the waterfall gives away to a stream along the grass, disappearing into the cave. The background somehow makes the centerpiece—a tower—glow. She had never seen a tower so tall, so beautiful, so lonely, so...

Rich. Yes, this would be the perfect hideout, if not to live in. 

She goes around the tower twice, looking for some sort of entrance, until she spots a window. Considering how high the tower is, climbing up the wall would be ludicrous, but that's what Mareena did. The insane.

So with two arrows taken from an attempt to incapacitate her and her former comrades, she scales the wall and reaches the window in record time.

The horse whinnies, and Mareena almost loses her balance, but then rights her footing at the sill of the window and carefully steps inside. She nearly forgets about what caused all this to happen, but then she reaches inside her satchel and takes out the crown to see it's, surprisingly, still in pristine condition.

"Ah," she says in relief. "Alone at last."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Clang**.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Cal knew that one day he could prove to his mother that the pan he made himself was sturdy. But it was the last thing on his mind as he gives a high-pitched squeal—and Kilorn eyes him—as he backs away quickly from the scary person. He knew it was a person, but he didn't know what kind.

  
  


Was this one of those scary sharp-toothed men that Mother talked about? A cannibal?

Kilorn didn't help by pointing at the scrawl of a person with pointy teeth. 

Only one way to find out. Cal takes the end of the pan and lifts her lip to see her teeth were perfectly normal. A bit yellowed, unlike his and Mother's, but he overlooked that as he studied the strange whatever-this-was.

The person kind of looked like Mother, he realizes. Except this "she" didn't have stick-straight ashy blonde hair—it was a darker-than-hazelnut in waves. Pretty, he thinks. Her skin wasn't ivory—it was a rather well tanned color, very pleasing to his eyes and went well with her hair. Her fingers were slightly crooked, dirt underneath the fingernails. Her clothes looked ragged and dirty, but somewhat a wealthy purple and a size too small.

Maybe she didn't have the fortunate situation he had, to be able to replace a small outfit with a bigger one that looked the same.

Her boots looked worn, and Cal decided that he can give her one of Mother's boots with better quality.

Wait.

What was he thinking?

This was a person, and she had found his location.

She was a thief.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
And she came for his hair.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, an update will take place tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 3

Cal dropped the pan and backed away. He tripped over his hair and stumbled, banging his head on the door of the wardrobe he built for his mother.

As the boy rubbed his head, Kilorn skittered across the floor to point at the girl, then the closet.

Realization dawned on his face, and he paled slightly. "Kilorn, the wardrobe is small."

The chameleon gave a look as to say _she is too._

  
  
  
  


Cal slowly approached the girl, and took her into his arms. She's thin, he noticed. He opened the door to the wardrobe, cluttered with wool cloaks—perfect for her comfort. He unceremoniously dropped her into the wardrobe and closed the door.

He turned around to face the chameleon and stepped away from the wardrobe. "Hm, that wasn't so hard." At that moment, the doors burst open and the girl fell out.

Cal shrieked in a high pitch and ran.

  
  
  
  


...

  
  
  
  


The girl ended up in his closet with a chair at the door handles.

Cal pulls on his hair with both hands, waiting for his heart to stop racing. "Okay, okay, I got a person in my closet. I got a person in my closet."

He takes a few deep breaths, realizing that sentence alone was hard to believe. "I got a person in my closet!" He laughed. Mother would be proud.

"Too weak to handle myself out there, huh Mother?" He picked up the pan in his hands, sighing in content.

Until something else caught his eye. Something was shining from the bag that the girl brought. Cal put the pan down to bring out the glinting object, and held it out for Kilorn to see. They both walked out his room to where the biggest mirror was in the main room, the strange piece of metal in his hand.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" He held up the thing. He puts the metal around his wrist, only to find that it was too big. "A bracelet, perhaps?"

Kilorn shook his head.

Cal tossed the metal up, watching it spin as it rose. He reached for it as it fell, only to have his head hit by the thing.

"Ow!"

Kilorn would have smiled in the way chameleons do, if only it weren't for the strange gaze of—awe? That was a look he never got from him.

"What?" He turned towards the mirror, and saw the metal atop of his head, fitting perfectly.

  
  


"Hm. My aim wasn't that bad now, was it?" He rights the piece on his head, making cold, regal faces and shifting his arms. It is then that he realizes what the metal was—a crown. _I look like a prince,_ he thinks. Barefooted, but still. A prince.

  
  
  
  


But the girl in his closet wasn't far from his mind.

"Cal! Let down your hair!" Mother yells, and Cal nearly drops the crown. He comes to his senses, puts the precious metal back into the satchel, hides it, and rushes towards the window to let his mother in. "One moment, Mother!" He assures her, and goes through the routine again.

As he lets down his hair, his mother ecxitedly announces, "I have a big surprise."

"Uh," he says, unsure of how to respond. "I do too."

"Oh, I bet my surprise is bigger." She says with a smile on her face.

Cal pales. He doubts very much that her surprise beats a small female in his closet. "I seriously doubt it," he mutters as he pulls on his hair. He barely registers the slight sting as it carries his mother—he's only been doing this since he was fourteen. 

When she reaches the window again, she starts talking. "I found my parsnips. I can always make hazelnut soup for dinner, your favorite. Surprise!"

Cal smiles at the prospect, but remembers what he wanted to tell his mother. "Okay. Well Mother, there's something I want to tell you." Before he can say any more, his mother interjects. "Oh Cal, you know I hate leaving you after a fight. Especially when I've done absolutely nothing wrong."

Cal felt the urge to argue, but took a deep breath. "Okay, so I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier."

His mother’s smile falls. "I hope you're still not talking about the stars."

"Before you answer, yes I'm leading up to that."

"Because I really thought we dropped the issue, dear." Her voice was calm, but there was a sort of mist that surrounded her indicating that her patience was wearing thin.

"No Mother, I'm just saying, you think I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there."

"Oh, I know you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there."

  
"But if you just—"

"Cal, we're done talking about this."

"But trust me, I—"

"Cal," his mother warned, but he

persisted. "Know what I'm—"

"Cal!"

"Oh come on," he pleaded.

That was enough for his mother to snap. "Enough with the lights, Cal! You are not leaving this tower! Ever!"

Cal took a step back. That was the very first time that his mother ever yelled at him, and it was over something as silly leaving the place he lived in his entire life. 

"Great. Now I'm the bad guy." His mother put her head in her hand, and that almost made him feel guilty. Almost.

He decided that he'd have to find another way to see the floating lights. Maybe that girl could help...

  
"All I was going to say, Mother is that... I know what I want for my birthday now."

He could see that his mother brightened a little. "And what is that?"

"New chisels. I want a variety to better my work."

She furrowed her brows, but it seemed that she bought his lie. "But that is a very long trip, Cal. Almost three to five day's time."

"I just thought it would be a better idea than the... stars." He figures with what he said, she would agree to leave him alone—again. 

He was right of course. His mother stands up, and rests her hands gently on his shoulders. "You're sure you'll be alright on your own, Cal?" He nearly snorted, but kept his nose and breathing in check to get her to leave faster. "I know I'm safe, as long as I'm here." _Except I won't be here_ , he doesn't add. He retreats to help her pack the food, and prepares to let her down with his hair.

Before she leaves, she pecks his cheek. "I love you very much, Cal."

"I love you more," he tries not to say hurriedly.

"I love you most." His mother smiles, and rights herself on the way down the tower.

He waits for about five minutes, and lets out a deep breath. "Okay." He clasps his hands in excitement and nervousness, and with Kilorn, walks toward the closet in his room to remove the chair.

  
  
  



	5. Chapter 4

Mareena wakes up to a slimy, thin something in her ear. When she realizes it's a tongue, she yelps. "Gah!" When she flinches, she notices her body can't move much more than an inch. "Wha—" she jumps in a weak attempt to break free of her restraints, then stops abruptly.

"Is this..." she squints. "Hair?" _Who would have this much?_

Oh. She came to this tower at a bad time. The owner must still be here.

"Struggling....struggling is pointless." Mareena quirked an eyebrow at the fear she heard in the deep, masculine voice. _There must be more people than I thought in this place._ Mareena decides to respond in the most normal manner. "What?"

The voice was shaking. Isn't he used to this? And...where is the voice coming from? Where did the hair lead to?

All of her questions are answered when the owner of the voice comes out into the only light that illuminated the room. "Who are you, and how did you find me?"

She glances briefly at the boy—he couldn't be anymore than twenty. Barefooted, well-clothed, strong hands. Strong hands holding a pan, it seems. Broad shoulders, thick neck, strong jaw, nice eyes—unusual color. And...

Hair. The same hair binding her into her chair.

_ Oh my.... _

She takes a deep breath to hold in her laugh. "Ah ha." She squeaks, since she could barely form a coherent thought.

"Who are you, and how did you find me?" He says more firmly, and Mareena puffs her cheeks to try and answer the boy.

She clears her throat, and tries to look at his hands. "I know not who you are. Nor how I came to find you. But may I just say..." Mareena makes the mistake of looking at his face, and laughs.

Cal was appalled by her rude response, but allows her to say her peace—or laugh it, for the matter—while he grips the pan tightly.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Ten seconds later, he feels awkward trying to look intimidating while holding the thing in his hands. Fortunately, the girl stopped laughing, and started speaking. "So, um..." he raises a brow as she wheezes, and attempts to speak again. "I'm sorry, Long Hair, it's kind of hard to take you seriously with the pan and the..." she gestures as best she can to her head, since she's still bound to the chair.

Remembering that, she clears her throat and tries—again—to be civil. "Okay. So, um....here's the thing. I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest. I came across this tower and..."

Mareena's head whips towards her surroundings. "Oh no. Where's my satchel?!" She fidgets in her chair until Long Hair says, "I've hidden it. Somewhere you can't find it." He crosses his arms, an arrogant smile on his face.

Mareena rolls her eyes, and looks at the pot not ten feet away. "It's in the pot, isn't it?"

**Clang.**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Cal felt bad for doing it, but he couldn't let the girl see where he was going to hide it. And besides, she was pretty much asking for it since she laughed at him.

He put the satchel and the crown in it under one of the boards serving as stairs, afterwards reinforcing the binds on the girl's arms and legs.

He stood back as Kilorn once again stuck his tongue in her ear repeatedly until she woke up. After the tenth try, the girl flinches and yelps. "Gah! Would you stop that?" She rubs her ear against the dirty clothes as the chameleon darts away from the girl.

"Now it's hidden where you'll never find it." Cal starts to walk around the chair and interrogate the girl. "So, what do you want with my hair?" The girl looked like her cheeks were going to explode until Cal opened his mouth again. "To cut it?"

"What?" The girl scrunched her face in what seemed like confusion.

"Sell it?"

"No! Listen, the only thing I want to with your hair, is to get out of it, and laugh at it! Honestly, Long Hair. What would be so special about it?"

Cal stopped. "Wait. You don't want my hair?"

"I'm pretty sure I made that clear. Look. I was being chased, I saw a tower, I climbed it, end of story."

Cal was surprised. "You're— telling the truth?"

"Yes!"

Kilorn didn't look convinced and skittered from Cal's arm and stopped at the end of the pan. Cal waited until the chameleon said (or gestured) his part, and came to tap his shoulder.

He shook his head no.

  
Mareena was confused. Long Hair had his back to her, and she couldn't see what he was doing, since his shoulders were blocking and the hair was distracting. She could hear whispering for a few seconds, then straightened when he turned back towards her. "Uh, okay. Um...I'm sorry. What's your name?"

"Mareena. Mareena Titanos."

"Okay, Mareena. I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

Mareena blinked. "Deal?"

Long Hair tugged on his locks to move the chair, in turn nearly mashing her skull if not for the strands cushioning it. "Look this way," he said, and she obliged as best as she could. Mareena watched as the boy moved a curtain to reveal a carving into the wall. It was a person sitting on top of a hill, looking up to the sky to see floating cylinders—lanterns, the sun setting.

Impressive.

"Do you know what these are?" Mareena barely heard Long Hair, focusing on the wall. "Oh. You mean the lanterns they do for the lost prince?"

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Lanterns. I knew they weren't stars," Cal whispered to himself. He tilted his head, trying to find a way to word his offer.

"Well, tomorrow evening they will light the night sky with these lanterns. You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home. Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal." He was so sure she would agree, until she opened her mouth. "Yeah, no can do." She shifts as best as could, making room to move her hands. "The kingdom and I are not exactly 'simpatico' at the moment. So I won't be taking you anywhere."

Cal arched his brow and looked at Kilorn. The chameleon made a motion as to say, _do as you wish._

Taking it as encouragement, Cal nimbly dropped to the floor and pulled on his hair, raising the chair and Mareena in it. "Something brought you here, Mareena Titanos," he drawled in a mocking manner. "Call it what you will. Fate, destiny—"

"A horse."

He didn't let that comment deter him, and continued to pull her closer. "So I have made the decision to trust you."

"A horrible decision, really."

"But trust me when I say this." Cal grips the back of the chair, glaring at Mareena. He would be lying if he said he wasn't proud of the brief flash of fear on her face. "You can tear this tower apart brick by brick. But without my help, you will never find your precious satchel." He growls.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Mareena was so close to Long Hair that she could see tiny golden specks in his red-gold eyes. Her mind went fuzzy for a bit, barely remembering what he said. _Oh, right._ She cleared her throat. "So let me get this straight. I take you to see the lanterns, bring you back home, and you'll give me back my satchel?"

"I promise." His face softened a bit, but Mareena didn't want him to think she gave up so easily.

_ But my crown. _

"Fine, I'll take you to see the lanterns." She rolled her eyes.

"Really?" Cal was ecstatic that Mareena agreed. So much that he accidently let go of the chair, and thought he heard something breaking.

Cal spent the next half-hour making sure Mareena didn't break anything and looking for clothing and a pair of boots that fit her size.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Chapter 5

Mareena was happy with the new pair of boots, since the ones she had were already peeling at the soles. When they were set to leave, she used her arrows to climb down.

Noticing that the boy was hesitant to leave, Mareena called out, "You coming, Long Hair?"

Cal was annoyed with the nickname, so he answered, "My name is Cal, actually." Though he doubted the correction would do anything. He watched as Mareena disembarked the tower, the sounds of stone embedding in dirt fading slowly.

He took a deep breath, and did what he usually did when he felt nervous. He sang.

_"Look at the world so close,_

_and I'm halfway to it._

_Look at it all, so big._

_Do I even dare?_

_I just have to do it._

_Should I?_

_No._

_Here I go."_

Hooking his hair above the window—as he always did for Mother—he hopped off and felt the rush of wind as he fell towards the ground. Suddenly he was only three feet above the grass, and was once again hesitant to take his first steps outside.

Again, he took a deep breath, and let go of his hair.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Mareena continued climbing down with her arrows, and was somewhat annoyed with the better and faster method Long Hair—erm, Cal—had.

When she was halfway down, she could hear him singing. Normally she wouldn't care, but his voice was a mix of bright and dark tones, rich in a way that made a shiver travel down her spine to her toes. 

She nearly lost her grip on the arrows, then when he finished, she shook her head and repositioned her feet on the stone. 

A blur of black and gold caught the side of her eye, and Mareena remembered how she was supposed to have been annoyed. She forgot about it again when not five minutes later, Cal started to sing again. And was that—music in the background? Where did it come from?

_"Just smell the grass, the dirt,_

_Just how I dreamed they'd be._

_Just feel that summer breeze,_

_The way it's calling me."_

Mareena heard little splashes of water, and laughed to herself, imagining how childish he would look. Not, she kept telling herself, because she needed something to hear other than his voice and the music that went with it.

_"And for the first time ever,_

_I'm completely free."_

  
  
  
  


Cal followed the birds into the cave that must have led out of the area as he freestyled another verse. 

_"I could go running, and racing,_

_And dancing,_

_And chasing, and leaping,_

_And bounding._

_Hair flying, heart pounding_

_And finally feeling..."_

He reached outside the cave, into the forest and freedom. Something he had never felt in all his life until now.

_"Now's when my life,_

_Begins!"_

The birds flew past him, the music finishing with a flourish.

When he finishes, the weight of his choices and the fact that he's out of breath settles on him. Did he do the right thing? Of course he did. "I can't believe I did this?" He exclaimed. He had finally escaped his—prison?

His home. The only place he's ever known. "I can't believe I did this." He repeated.

But because of Mareena, he'd finally get to explore the outside. "I can't believe I did this!" The possibilities were endless.

But mother. "Mother would be so furious."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Mareena had reached the bottom of the tower after some time. Wait.

Where was Long Hair?

She sprinted out the way she came. There would be absolutely no way that he would get lost, losing any chance she had escaping with her precious satchel. Fortunately, she found him in seconds—by a stream, holding a water lily and muttering quietly, "That's okay, what she doesn't know won't kill her, right?" Mareena wanted to speak her thoughts, but she refrained.

Two minutes later, he sat inside a cave, hugging his knees to his chest. "Oh my gosh," he whined. "This would kill her."

Two more minutes, and he sprinted like the wind, kicking up piles of leaves. "THIS IS SO FUN!" He exclaimed. Mareena flinched when his hair whipped her face.

She opted to wait and then find him for the next two minutes, and he ended up with his head leaning on a tree trunk, clutching his pan tightly. "I am a horrible son. I'm going back." He murmured.

Another two minutes passed, and he danced and spun, rolling around in the grass while yelling like a child, "I am never going baaaaccckk!" Stopping only when his hair wrapped him up.

His mind changed when two minutes later, he layed face-first onto the grass and moaned dejectedly, "I am a despicable human being." Mareena waited for his final answer, but she got none.

She stayed still, leaning on a tree while in the next two minutes, he used his hair to swing around the tree while screaming, "BEST. DAY. EVER!"

Mareena was about to lose it when his mind changed again. He sat leaning on a rock, face devoid of emotion and turning the pan over and over in his hands. Well, if he wasn't going to make up his mind, she would do it for him. Sighing, she approached him and said, "You know, I can't help but notice, you seem a little at war with yourself here."

He looked at her, confusion written all over his face. "Really?"

She resisted the urge to scoff and roll her eyes. "The whole day, bits and pieces. Sort of overprotective mother, forbidden road trip. This is serious stuff. But here's the thing. You're, what. Eighteen?"

"Nineteen, actually."

"You're nineteen, but this is part of growing up. A little rebellion, a little adventure. That's good, healthy even." She wasn't entirely sure, just going by her way of growing up. Only, she didn't have anyone looking after her since escaping her old life with the Samos siblings. By the way, how exactly would she survive without even an ally when this was over?

His light chuckling pulled her out of her thoughts. "You think?"

She remembered what she was saying to him. "I know." 

She didn't know. "You are way overthinking your stress meter. Did your mother deserve it? No. Will this break her heart and crush her soul? Well of course." At least, she thought that was how it would be. "But you have just got to do it."

She could see him gripping his hair tightly. "Break her heart?"

She picked a berry that was in his hair. "In half."

"Crush her soul?"

"Like a grape," she said and to emphasize her point, she squished it.

"She would be heartbroken, you're right."

She shrugged. "Likely." She realized, since he was reluctant to go with her, she might get her satchel back a lot sooner than she expected. "All right. I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I'm letting you out of the deal."

"Well—"

"That's right. But don't make me. Let's just turn around, and you go home, and your frog," she added as an afterthought. "I get back my satchel, you get back a mother-son relationship based on mutual trust and viola! We part ways as unlikely friends." And by friends, she meant as a person to get back to when she needed things from him. 

She got only a few steps before she was pulled back by her arm.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where it kind of stopped in Wattpad, so I’ll have the next update next week.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s basically just a filler chapter to get me back into the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Crawls out of the sea of homework and coughs) IM HERE. I FINALLY GOT INTO IT AGAIN.
> 
> sorry for the long wait, I was just caught in overdue homework and the only things that I had motivation for was just one shots of another fandom.

Cal hadn’t seen much of the world, but the little he had experienced was enough for him to want to keep going. 

I am not going back yet, he decided, and pulled Mareena to face him. “No. I am seeing those lanterns.”

The statement came out harsher than intended, since Mareena seemed to flinch. He wants to feel bad, but holds himself back.

  
  
  
  


_ I am not going to be intimidated by a man with long hair. _

Mareena schools her features and scowls. “Oh come on,” she whined. “What is going to take for me to get my satchel back?” 

Long Hair only glares at her and starts to open his mouth, when a rustling is made from the bushes. Mareena tenses, hoping to fate that it wasn’t the burly Samos siblings. However, a bunny emerges, and she sighs in relief. 

Wait.   


Her peripheral vision wasn’t blocked by the big oaf.

She frantically looks at her surroundings and stops when she sees a strand of blond hair dangling in front of her face.

“Wha—” She looks up to see Cal perched on a tree at least twenty feet above the ground. “Long Hair, what are you doing!?”

“Is he gone?” He calls back, clinging to the trunk.

“Uh,” Mareena realizes he was talking about the rabbit. “You mean the bunny?”

“Wait, it wasn’t a thief or a thug?”

She wants to tell him that she’s a thief, but says, “No, it was a bunny. But you might want to come down, they can smell fear.” She adds as a joke.

Reluctantly, he climbs down and grumbles, “Not my fault for being jumpy.” Then clears his throat. “Sorry, I thought it was a bandit of some sort.”

Mareena taps her chin thoughtfully.  _ If I can scare him back to his home, I can get my satchel easier.  _ “I suppose it's best to stay away from ruffians and thugs."

“Yeah.’

“Are you hungry? I know a great place for lunch.” Her voice suddenly cheery.

Long Hair narrows his eyes but asks, “Where?”

“Don't worry, you’ll know it when you smell it.”

* * *

Mareena purposely takes the long route with twigs and trees in their path. If it were to scare him into giving up on the journey or hiding from the horse, she didn’t know.

What she did know was that the chameleon was onto her and glaring at her in the strange way animals do.

She pulls some moss aside. “Now I know it's out here somewhere… ah, there it is. The Snuggly Duckling. Don’t worry, perfectly quaint place and perfect for you. Don't want you to be scared and give up on this endeavor now, do we?” she turns around to see Cal stumbling out of the forest. Surprisingly, not a hair was out of place and still maintained its shine.

“Well, I do like ducklings.” He answers, looking at the slightly lopsided tavern carved into a large tree trunk.

“Perfect.” She smiles sweetly and the door bangs open. “Garcon, your finest table, please.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cant guarantee an update this week, but I do know it will be between today and two weeks from now.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the lovely @LilyHarvord who gave me the idea and let me write this.
> 
> Also, the next update will take place tomorrow.


End file.
